Macronutrients: Carbohydrates

What are macronutrients?

Macronutrients are the nutrients that your body needs in large amounts, which include fat, carbohydrates, and protein. They give you energy and contain the components of food that your body needs to maintain its systems and structures. You need all three macronutrients as part of a healthy diet, so you shouldn't exclude or seriously restrict any of them.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates, also known as carbs, are sugar molecules. Carbs are broken down in the body to glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy for your body's cells, tissues, and organs. Glucose can be used immediately or stored in the liver and muscles for later use.

What are the types of carbohydrates?

There are three main types of carbohydrates:

• Sugars – They are also called simple carbohydrates because they are in the most basic form. They can be added to foods, such as the sugar in candy,

desserts, processed foods, and regular soda. They also include the kinds of sugar that are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and milk.

• Starches – They are complex carbohydrates, which are made of lots of simple sugars strung together. Your body needs to break starches down into

sugars to use them for energy. Starches include bread, cereal, and pasta. They also include certain vegetables, like potatoes, peas, and corn.

• Fiber – It is also a complex carbohydrate. Your body cannot break down most fibers, so eating foods with fiber can help you feel full and make you less likely to overeat. Diets high in fiber have other health benefits. They may help prevent stomach or intestinal problems, such as constipation. They may also help lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Fiber is found in many foods that come from plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains.

How does the body use carbohydrates?

When you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into simple sugars, which are absorbed into the bloodstream. As the sugar level rises in your body, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is needed to move sugar from the blood into the cells, where the sugar can be used as an energy source.

When this process goes fast — as with simple sugars — you're more likely to feel hungry again soon. When it goes more slowly, as with a whole-grain food, you'll be satisfied longer. These types of complex carbs give you energy over a longer period of time.

The carbs in some foods (mostly those with a lot of simple sugars) make the blood sugar level rise more quickly than others. Scientists have been studying whether eating foods that cause big jumps in blood sugar may be related to health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Which types of carbohydrates should I eat?

You do need to eat some carbohydrates to give your body energy. But it's important to eat the right kinds of carbohydrates for your health:

• Choose whole grains – Whole grains are foods like whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole cornmeal, and oatmeal. They offer lots of nutrients that your body needs, like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. To figure out whether a product has a lot of whole grain, check the ingredients list on the package and see if a whole grain is one of the first few items listed.

• Eat foods with lots of fiber – The Nutrition Facts label on the back of food packages tells you how much fiber a product has.

• Try to avoid foods that have a lot of added sugar – These foods can have many calories but not much nutrition. Eating too much added sugar raises your blood sugar and can make you gain weight. You can tell if a food or drink has added sugars by looking at the Nutrition Facts label on the back of food package. It tells you how much total sugar and added sugar is in that food or drink.

How many carbohydrates should I eat?

There is no one-size-fits-all amount of carbohydrates that people should eat. This amount can vary, depending on factors such as your age, sex, health, and whether or not you are trying to lose or gain weight. On average, people should get 45 to 65% of their calories from carbohydrates every day. On the Nutrition Facts labels, the Daily Value for total carbohydrates is 275 g per day. This is based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. Your Daily Value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs and health.

What are the general recommendations for carbohydrate intake?

Age Group	Age Range	Total Grains (oz-equiv)*	Whole Grains (oz-equiv)*
Toddlers	12-23 months	1¾ to 3 oz-equiv	1½ to 2 oz-equiv
Children	2-4 years 5-8 years	3 to 5 oz-equiv 4 to 6 oz-equiv	1½ to 3 oz-equiv 2 to 3 oz-equiv
Girls	9-13 years 14-18 years	5 to 7 oz-equiv 6 to 8 oz-equiv	2½ to 3½ oz-equiv 3 to 4 oz-equiv
Boys	9-13 years 14-18 years	5 to 9 oz-equiv 6 to 10 oz-equiv	3 to 4½ oz-equiv 3 to 5 oz-equiv
Women	19-30 years 31-59 years 60+ years	6 to 8 oz-equiv 5 to 7 oz-equiv 5 to 7 oz-equiv	3 to 4 oz-equiv 3 to 3½ oz-equiv 3 to 3½ oz-equiv
Men	19-30 years 31-59 years 60+ years	8 to 10 oz-equiv 7 to 10 oz-equiv 6 to 9 oz-equiv	4 to 5 oz-equiv 3½ to 5 oz-equiv 3 to 4½ oz-equiv

*Daily Recommendations in ounce-equivalents (oz-equiv)

What is an ounce-equivalent (oz-equiv)?

Food	Amount that counts as 1 ounce-equivalent (oz-equiv) of grains
Bagels	1” mini bagel
Bagel or pita chips	⅓ cup bagel or pita chips
Barley	½ cup, cooked
Buckwheat	½ cup, cooked
Biscuits	1 small biscuit
Breads	1 regular slice of bread 1 small slice of French bread 4 snack-size slices of rye bread
Bulgur	½ cup, cooked
Challah bread	1 medium or regular slice
Chapati	1 small chapati or roti (6") ½ large chapati or roti (8")
Cornbread	1 small piece of cornbread
Couscous	½ cup, cooked
Crackers	5 whole wheat crackers 2 rye crisp breads 7 square or round crackers
English muffins	½ English muffin
Muffins	1 small muffin
Oatmeal	½ cup, cooked 1 packet instant 1 ounce (⅓ cup), dry (regular or quick)
Pancakes	1 pancake (4½" diameter) 2 small pancakes (3" diameter)
Pasta	½ cup, cooked 1 ounce, dry
Popcorn	3 cups, popped
Quinoa	½ cup, cooked
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal	1 cup, flakes or rounds 1¼ cup, puffed
Rice	½ cup, cooked 1 ounce, dry
Tortillas	1 small flour tortilla (6" diameter) 1 corn tortilla (6" diameter)

Is it safe to eat a low-carb diet?

Some people go on a low-carb diet to try to lose weight. This usually means eating 25g and 150g of carbs each day. This kind of diet can be safe, but you should talk to your health care provider before starting it. One problem with low-carb diets is that they can limit the amount of fiber you get each day. They can also be hard to stay on for the long term.

Sources:

https://medlineplus.gov/carbohydrates.html

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/carb.html

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/grains